The Forgotten
by Bluefire Eternal
Summary: AU Mufasa barely survives the fall, and is rescued by a pride of wandering lions. But when he awakes, he can't remember who he is! And Mufasa is just beginning to adapt to his new life with the pride when he comes across a cub who calls himself Simba..
1. Curiosity Saved the Cat

**Note: YES, I am aware that their are other Mufasa-survival stories out there. This is my own version of what it might be like, and will have my own plot twists and characters and what-not. And NO, I did not base this off of somebody else's story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, situations, ect. you recognize from _the Lion King. _However, I do own the plot of this story and all original material, including the OCs.**

At the border of the Barrenlands, the lifeless wasteland between the many lion prides that dominated the land, a small group of lions hung at the boundary between several prides' territories, wondering where to go next.

The only adult male in the group, a thin and lanky male with a dark reddish mane and dust-colored fur, paced near the borders. His golden eyes constantly went from territory from territory, trying to decide which was best to travel through. This lion's name was Anil, and he was the King of the small but proud 'Wandering Pride.'

"So," he mused to himself. "Where to go, where to go? To the Grasslands, where the two Kings that rule there have been rumoured to disembowl any intruder that dares to trespass on their land. Or perhaps to the Canyonlands, where the mad old tyrant that rules there captures and forces all passerby to swear allegiance to him?" He looked up at the members which made up his pride. "Well, ladies, which do you prefer? Death or enslavement?"

Huruma, a golden lioness that had gone gray with age, rolled her eyes. "Must you always forget the third option, my _King?" _She nodded in the third direction, one that did not face either the Barrenlands or the Grasslands or the Canyonlands. "If we cut through the Pridelands we shall reach the desert far faster than if we pass through either of the other territories. Also, we shall only cut across the fringes of the Pridelands. It is highly unlikely we shall run into the residents on our way through."

A golden lioness sneered. "Are you sure, old woman? After all, you aren't as _sure of yourself_ as you used to be."

Huruma growled warningly at the younger lioness. "Peace, Hema. I may be getting old, but I am not senile quite yet. When I was in my youth my pride often passed through the Pridelands. King Ahadi allowed us through his territory, so long as we didn't linger."

Hema scoffed. "This Pridelands isn't the one you knew in your youth. Haven't you heard of what Ahadi's son does to _outsiders?"_

"Ahadi's son? You mean King Mufasa?" Anil winced, wrapping his tail protectively around the fork in his back-legs. "Maybe we should take another route. I would like to sire more cubs in the future, thank you very much."

"It is a wonder you ever become King in the first place," Huruma muttered to herself. The old lioness strode forward, looking Anil right in the eye before saying more loudly, "Rumors are rumors, your _Majesty._When I was younger, King Ahadi was notorious for the cruel and unusual punishments he gave to those males foolish enough to challenge him. However, he left us mutual prides in peace, as we desired only to pass through his lands, not claim it for ourselves. I believe his son thinks the same way."

Young and fair Venya nodded. "Can we, Dad?" She gave the lioness at her side an anxious glance. "I mean the sooner we get to this jungle you're talking about, the better it would be for Maua and her _condition."_

"Great Kings," Maua groaned in exasperation. "I may expecting, but that doesn't mean I can't take a little traveling, you foolish cub! Venya, please let the King decide where we shall go!" All the lionesses turned to the male, all waiting for his answer.

Anil's response was to turn to his mate. "I don't do anything without consulting the lovely Queen Dhakiya," was his playful reply.

The golden lioness gently set down the cub she had held in her mouth, nuzzling their young son tenderly. "It is your call, Anil. Little Ibtisam and I shall go along with whatever you wish, just like the rest of our subjects."

Anil thoughtfully looked at his choices, golden eyes shifting from one to another. At last he sighed, giving his pride a wan smile. "I suppose losing ones manhood is better than death or enslavement by a mad tyrant. Through the Pridelands it is, then."

Huruma gave the scowling Hema a smug grin. "Well, it looks like King Anil has seen sense yet again, Hema. Now all of you, move your sorry tails along! We're burning sunlight!"

* * *

King Anil led the way through the Pridelands, ears pricked and constantly alert for danger. Old Huruma flanked him, nagging in his ear whenever he veered off in the wrong direction and forcing him to keep up a fast and steady pace. Hema followed, grumbling under her breath about how stubborn old lionesses should stop annoying everyone and just die quietly already. Dhakia and Maua brought up the rear, the former walking slowly so as not to arouse her little son, Ibtisam, and the latter trailing behind because of her swollen belly.

Venya found herself too impatient to stay with the Wandering Pride. She might be a year and a half old and practically a lioness, but she was too excited with her new surroundings to act like one. She darted about from bush to bush, tree to tree, scenting the lions and other animals that had recently passed through the area.

"Venya!" her mother, Hema, shrieked when Venya got too far from her for her liking. "Come back here! How many times must I tell you to _stay with the pride?"_

Venya rolled her eyes at Hema's insistent worry. Anil had said anything yet, so as long as Dad seemed okay with it she presumed it was all right to wander.

While the Pridelands had began as sprawling grasslands, the land had quickly become uneven and pitted with impressive gorges and rocky hills. From what Vanya could pick up from her Dad's and Huruma's one-sided conversation, this meant that they were nearing the desert.

Excited, the young lioness raced ahead, hoping to catch sight of the desert first. Gasping, she caught scent of something else. A _delicious _something else.

"Dad!" she called back to King Anil. "I can smell wildebeest up here! Is it okay if we hunt?"

Huruma stopped yakking into Anil's ear to shout back, _"No! _Senseless cub, this is another's territory! We cannot simply hunt their prey just because _one _of us is a bit peckish."

Maua pushed herself to to the front to protest. She was eating for two or more, and it was understandable she got hungrier than the rest of the pride and more quicker, at that. Huruma and her daughter fell into a noisy argument on the matter. Anil was pulled in when he suggested for the two lionesses to settle their differences peacefully and quietly.

Venya took advantage of the situation by sneaking off to investigate the irresistible scent for herself.

_I'm just hunting for a wildebeest, _she thought to herself. _It's not like I'd kill one or anything._

The gray-brown lioness halted when she drew closer to the source of the smell. She growled, fur bristling as she caught a familiar and putrid scent that had nothing to do with her quarry.

_Hyenas!_

What were those filthy scavengers doing here, in the middle of lion territory? Had the local pride made an alliance with them or something? Impossible, lions and hyenas got along as well as fire and ice. Maybe the hyenas had gotten overconfident and had attempted to hunt their rivals' prey? Were they chasing the wildebeests right now?

Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, Venya ran off in hot pursuit of the scent. Oblivious to Hema's shrill cries, the lioness continued to run on ahead, getting ever closer to the source of the wildebeest scent.

Venya halted when her investigate had brought her to the mouth of a great gorge. The lioness gave the wide area a quick scan. Nope, no wildebeests in sight. No hyenas either. Both were probably long gone by now, perhaps already at the opposite end of the gorge. Lifting her head, the lioness inhaled deeply.

The overwhelming scent of wildebeests. Hundreds of them. The stink of fear mingled with their natural scents, making it seem even more likely they had been pursued by hyenas. Ah, there was the putrid stench of the hyenas. Just as she had-

"What's that?" Venya wondered aloud.

Nostrils flaring, she inhaled again.

There it was, beneath the hyena and wildebeest scents! It smelled vaguely familiar. Another lion, perhaps? There was another scent with it, like fear had mixed with the wildebeest scent. Only this mystery scent was familiar and tasted slightly of...

_Blood! _

Panicking, Venya inspected the gorge again. This time, she searched specifically for any signs of an injured lion.

There! Her sharp eyes could just detect something hidden in the shadow of one of the gorge walls. It sort of blended in with the stone around it, but she could see it clear enough. That limp bundle of golden fur...

_"Dad!" _Venya cried shrilly, turning back and fleeing in the direction of the Wandering Pride. "Dad! Mom! Queen Dhakiya! Somebody! There's a lion down in this gorge, and he's _hurt!"_

Huruma and Anil turned their heads sharply toward her, eyes widening at her news. Leaving the others behind, the two lions hurried to meet up the younger lioness. Venya swiftly retraced her original path, leading them to the mouth of the gorge and into it, where the injured lion lay, unmoving.

When they all reached the lion, Venya was unsure on whether it was even alive or not.

The lion's golden pelt was covered in open wounds that spilled blood onto his fur. His rear left leg was twisted at an odd angle, as if it had been broken in a fall. He was sprawled out awkwardly, supporting the theory that he had indeed fallen from the top of the gorge. With his chest still and eyes closed, Venya feared the poor lion was dead.

Apparently Anil thought the same as her. "We were too late," he said sadly. "Whoever this lion was, he is beyond help now."

"Imbeciles." Huruma approached the golden lion, putting a gentle paw to his chest. "He still lives, albeit barely."

Venya gaped at the unconscious lion in shock, eyes wide. Indeed, if she concentrated hard on his chest, she thought she could just see it rising and falling slightly with the inhale and exhale of breath. What a very, very fortunate soul this lion was.

Anil glanced about, lashing his tail and narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "He's all alone, in the middle of a pride's territory," he mused aloud. "Great Kings, who would leave a lion to die like this? And most of all, who is he to deserve so slow and agonizing a death?"

"His identity does not matter," Huruma broke in brusquely. "Besides, if he does not get help very soon, the only people he shall ever talk to again will be the ancestors."

Anil sighed. "We can not possibly hope to find a healer in time to save his life. It seems like any of our efforts would be in vain." He nodded down at the lion's reddish mane, which was stained a bright scarlet from a deep wound in his head.

The elder lioness snorted. "Nonsense," she growled. "Head wounds bleed the worst. Even the most minor cut can appear fatal if one gets it on the hand. Help me get this unfortunate fellow out the Pridelands. If he does have enemies here, I'd rather they not find us making off with him."

Cautiously, Venya ventured toward the unconscious lion. She and King Anil assisted Huruma in supporting the limp body, taking great care to keep his broken leg off of the ground. Slowly but surely, they and the rest of the Wandering Pride headed out of the Pridelands and into the plains that separated grassland from desert. There, in the safety of the unclaimed land, they could treat their mysterious patient in peace.

* * *

The sun had long since set on the Pridelands, leaving them blanketed in a thick darkness. The moon above was round and silver, a great milky-white eye in the sky. The Great Kings of the Past twinkled coldly down at the three souls that sneaked through across the ground to their destination. It seemed like the ancestors had been the sole witnesses to King Mufasa's murder, and were glaring accusingly down at the perpetrators from their starry perches.

"Man." Banzai looked around, eyes wary with fear. "I can't believe we're actually doing this."

Ed nodded in agreement, voicing his protests in his incoherent babble.

"Oh, will you two just shut up?" Shenzi barked at them. "You want Scar to get away with this, right? Will in order for him to get away with this little murder scheme he needs to get rid of the body."

"But why can't Scar just do the deed himself?" Banzai complained. "I mean, he got the pleasure of actually killing Mufasa off. All we got to do was chase the defenseless little cub. No sport in the killing at all!"

"We didn't actually kill the fur-ball, you know." Shenzi scowled at her companion. "If someone had gotten over their little boo-boos, the little Prince would be _dead_ by now and we'd have a body as proof."

"Hey! It's not my fault those annoying thorns got into my skin!" Banzai rubbed his still-sore nose. "You know how sensitive my skin is! Besides," he scoffed, "the annoying runt is as good as dead." He gazed wearily ahead, tail lashing in anxiety. "It's the kid's _father _that I'm worried about."

"Please." The female hyena rolled her eyes. "Mufasa's been dead for hours by now. And I know you ain't afraid of corpses. You devoured dozens of ones far more along than this one before. Besides, we're just _burying _this one, not eating it!"

"Still, I don't understand why Scar can't just bury the damn body. It's his _brother's _after all, the brother he hated so much he actually killed. You think Scar would want the final pleasure of getting to be the one to stuff Mufasa's body into the earth where it becomes worm-food. Or the lionesses, why couldn't the lionesses have done it?"

Shenzi sighed. "You know these damn lions and their stupid traditions as well as I do. The body of the diseased must be left alone and undisturbed in its place of dying until midnight. Then, a close relative or friend of the dead lion comes and buries it, then sits a silent vigil until dawn. And _then _the other lions can come to mourn and stuff."

"I know, I know," Banzai snapped. "Sarabi's sitting a vigil for the fluff-ball and Scar was practically nominated to be the idiot who gets to the whole 'vigil' thing. And our Royal Highness is too lazy to get off his furry butt and go through the indignity of pretending to mourn Mufasa."

"Which is why we're burying it for him and getting rid of all of the evidence that connects Scar to the murders," the female hyena finished pointedly. "Now stop whining and just help me and Ed bury the damn body!"

Bonzai shuddered. "But it's a _lion _we helped to kill. A sentient, very big, very strong, very fierce, pissed-off, King _lion._" When Shenzi merely gave him a flat stare, he shouted at her, "Hello, we killed freakin' King Mufasa! He doesn't seem the kind to roll over and accept he's dead and gone!" He trailed off ominously, allowing Shenzi to connect the gaps.

"Are you saying Mufasa's coming back as a...ghost?" Shenzi snorted. "Boy, you just reached a whole new level of stupid. Congratulations, I didn't think it was possible, but you did it." Thinking to herself, she muttered, "If the big guy really wanted revenge he'd just possess his dead corpse. He'd come back as a zombie."

"A zombie?" Bonzai rolled his eyes in disbelief. "Shenzi, everyone knows what ghosts are far scarier than zombies? Would you be afraid of a walking hunk of rotting meat?"

"Yes, if it was trying to _kill _me. Would you honestly be frightened of a little transparent dead guy who can only wail at you?"

Bonzai and Shenzi continued to bicker on their way back to Mufasa's body, until both were hit with the same realization at the same time. Both turned to Ed, asking him in unison on what were scarier: ghosts or zombies?

Even with his two friends gazing expectantly back at him, Ed continued to smile vacantly at them. Spotting something ahead, the hyena's eyes widened and he gaped, blubbering in a strange tongue that not even Bonzai could decipher. The two sane hyenas exchanged puzzled looks, before quizzically turned around to see what had gotten their friend so riled up.

There was the spot where Mufasa had fallen and met his death. There was the stunted tree that the wildebeests had broken in their wild stampede from their hunters. And there was where Mufasa _should _have laid, oddly empty of any decaying lion corpse.

"Zombie!" Banzai exclaimed in fright. "They're real, and now one's coming to kill me!"

Panicked, Banzai and Ed ran around in circles, too frightened to actually realize they were not actually running away from the scene. Shenzi rolled her eyes in exasperation, padding over to investigate.

"Will you two doofuses get over here?" she called impatiently. "Mufasa's not a zombie!"

Banzai stopped, looking at her. "Then what? Do you expect me to believe that the stupid lion fell dozens of feet, got trampled by a herd of stampeding wildebeests, and _survived? _That he just got up and _walked _away like he just didn't die two times over?"

"No, but I do expect you believe that the guy's body got dragged off by somebody!"

The two male hyenas exchanged embarrassed glances before turning to their self-proclaimed leader. "So? Who had the nerve to steal the body of the guy we killed?"

Shenzi shrugged. "How should I know? Those damned wildebeests clogged up the air so much with their fear its impossible to tell that Mufasa was ever here. And those lions have so many enemies. It could have been a leopard, a cheetah, a rogue lion, some obsessed lioness looking to resurrect the King as her love slave, or a hundred different other suspects." She turned to the others. "Which means that we'll have to tell Scar that everything went according to plan."

"Ugh," Bonzai began, "shouldn't we tell Scar that somebody ran off with his brother's body?"

"And should we tell Scar that we couldn't eliminate a tiny, defenseless _cub _and that you got your butt kicked by a bunch of thorn bushes?" Shenzi retorted. "Nah, it's just best we make a grave, put some antelope's body in it or something, and _pretend _we buried Mufasa."

And so, the matter was closed. Shenzi, Bonzai, and Ed, in typical hyena fashion, all thought that this little secret wouldn't come back to haunt them.

And, in typical hyena fashion, they were very, very, wrong.

* * *

**Yes, I'm yet again guilty of starting another fic when I have 5+ I should be working on right now. It's an idea that popped into my head when I was re-watching _The Lion King _a couple of days ago in school. (Man, it's a wonder what our teacher will put on in order to kill time on a fifty-minute break period.) This might or might not get updated often, I'm just putting it up to protect my idea/give my bored brain something to work on. **

**New Characters:**

**Anil- brown-gray lion with a dark reddish-brown mane, King of the Wandering Pride (Sanskrit for 'gray')**

**Dhakiya- a golden lioness, Queen of the Wandering Pride and Hema's younger sister (Sanskrit for 'smart')**

**Huruma- a golden lion gray with age, the eldest lioness in the pride (Swahili for 'compassion, sympathy')**

**Hema- a brownish-gold lioness, Dhakia's elder sister (Sanskrit for 'gold')**

**Maua- a pregnant dark brown lioness, Huruma's daughter (Swahili for 'flowers')**

**Venya- a young brown-gray lioness, Hema's daughter (Sanskrit for 'loveable')**

**Ibtisam- a grayish-gold lion cub, Dhakia's son (Swahili for 'smile, grin')**


	2. A Mufasa by Any Other Name

**Disclaimer: I do not own _the Lion King._All original material, including OCs belongs to me.**

Together, Anil, Huruma, and Venya were able to drag the unconscious and heavily injured lion out of the Pridelands. Some distance away from the border, the Wandering Pride settled down in a small copse of trees that sheltered them from the scorching sun and the elements. There was a great big gap under one of the larger baobab trees that could easily fit a couple of lions, but not the whole pride. It was there where Huruma gently set down her patient, and got to work on administering treatment.

Huruma made Venya and Hema search for as many cobwebs as they could find. When she had collected enough, the lioness set about to pressing them against the lion's wounds, explaining how they were a good source to stop the bleeding. She then sent mother and daughter out yet again to collect large branches. These Huruma broke into even rods, which she used to help set the golden lion's leg back into its regular position. Hurama bound it with cobwebs, so the leg would not heal crookedly.

Finally, Huruma personally went and took some water from a nearby spring into her mouth, being careful not to swallow it. Carefully, she tipped the lion's head back and gently allowed the water to pass between his lips so he would not get dehydrated. Food she didn't have to worry about it. But if her patient didn't awake in under three days she and him would be forced to suffer the indignity of her having to chew up his meat and coax it into his mouth.

Her work done, she and King Anil watched their mysterious charge. The golden lion's wounds had been bound and his needs tended to, yet he still had not awaken. Huruma was also worried about the heavy blow the lion had suffered to his head. It might have caused damage to his brain, but since he was unconscious, she couldn't be too sure.

Anil sighed, gazing down at the lion. "Do you think this lion could possibly be King Mufasa? I have no idea what that lion looks like, but I have the strangest feeling that this might be-"

"Oh, quiet that mind of yours!" Huruma interrupted. "Any challenger would have chased King Mufasa well out of his territory, or had killed him by ripping out his throat. Perhaps this lion is one of his fully-grown sons, or a sibling or cousin of his. But I doubt that as well, as he appeared to have been lying in that gorge for quite some time. Nor do I think they had begun the process of the burial and mourning, as surely some one would have noticed he was still living."

Anil regarded the injured big cat thoughtfully. "Maybe he was a challenger looking to take King Mufasa's pride? He might not have been familiar with the territory, and was too self-absorbed to realize he was walking right over the edge of the gorge."

The elder lioness snifed doubtfully. "I strongly doubt that. Elder males are too wise to foolishly challenge a King on their own. This male looks to be at least six or seven years old, experienced to know that he'd have a better chance of getting a rock to sing than to defeat a King." She shrugged. "What does it matter, anyway? Anything we want to know this lion can tell us when he awakens."

With that, Huruma shooed Anil out of the den. "Now, my King, will you leave me and my patient and peace? He won't awaken no matter how hard you try to talk his ear off."

* * *

Ibtisam was bored. His mother was once again fussing over Maua, trying to persuade her to take some herb that was supposed to make her produce more milk for her cubs. Anil had led Hema and Huruma out on a hunt for fresh meat, meaning he was left to play with himself yet again.

The young cub turned hopefully toward Venya. Trotting up to his older half-sister, he gave her his cute face. "Please, Venya, will you come and play with me?"

Venya looked up from where she was giving herself a thorough cleaning. She yawned, drowsy from the late afternoon sun. "Go ahead and play by yourself," she muttered sleepily. "Can't you see I'm trying to get ready for a nap here?"

"No fair!" Ibtisam protested. "You were all bouncy and jumpy when we first got here!"

"I used up all my energy when you were napping in Dhakiya's mouth," was Venya's tired reply. The young lioness rested her head on her paws, closing her golden eyes. "Now go away and go bother somebody else."

The grayish-golden furred cub huffed angrily, stomping away from his dozing half-sister. "Lionesses," he grumbled. "They never want to anything fun." He looked sadly about, searching for something to do. Finally, his amber eyes settled on the den under the baobab tree and he brightened in excitement. "Right, I ask the new lion! Maybe he'll play with me!"

When Ibtisam scrambled into the gap under the tree, he found himself staring at the great golden form of the stranger. Ibtisam gaped in awe, unable to believe the sight of this lion. This lion was twice the size of his father, and muscular and powerful, despite his injuries. His pelt was oddly devoid of scars, except for those he had acquired from his fall in the gorge.

Ibtisam frowned in concern. The adult male was stirring uneasily in his sleep and muttering incomprehensibly under his breath.

_He's having a bad dream, _the young lion thought.

Remembering the times when he had had nightmares, he had done what the helpful Venya had always done for him. He prodded the lion with a sheathed paw. When he received no response, Ibtisam tried again, this time most insistent in his poking.

"Mr. Lion?" he asked cautiously. "Mr. Lion, are you having a bad dream?"

The golden male shifted uneasily, his muttering becoming more frantic. Ibtisam looked around desperately, looking for a why to rouse the stranger from his nightmare. With a sudden stroke of brilliance, the cub rammed into the male's head shouting at the top of his voice.

"Mr. Lion, wake up!"

His actions seemed at last to be getting positive results. Ibtisam's tail curled in satisfaction and delight as the golden lion's muttering ceased. He stirred, slowly regaining consciousness. Ibtisam padded closer, peering down into the stranger's uneasy face.

_Good. Now I have someone to play with!_

* * *

_There was tremendous pain in his paws, but there was far greater agony in his heart. Paws scrabbling against rock to keep himself from falling to his death, he stared wide-eyed into the face of one of the lion's he loved and feared for most in the world._

_The face he had known since cub-hood was twisted into an alien sneer of triumph and hatred. Familiar green eyes were rendered unrecognizable by a terrible gleam that chilled him to his very soul. The owner of the face bent closer, whispering a single statement to him. The voice he associated with a bitter but internally-good lion now spent shivers down his spine._

_"Love live the King."_

_The owner of the terrible green eyes released him, sending him falling to his death below. _

_His final bellow of shock and horror mingled with a single petrified cry._

_"Nnnnnooooo!"_

"-ion, wake up!"

He groaned, disturbed from his slumber by a youthful and demanding voice. He ached all over, as if he were covered in bruises. His head throbbed painfully, as if he had gotten stepped on by a bull elephant. Drowsily, he lashed out with a sheathed paw, trying to get the source of the obnoxious voice away so he get could some sleep.

"Not now Simba," he slurred. "I'll so you the sunrise later."

"Um, who's Simba? And why would I want you to show me the sunrise?"

Cracking one eye open, he found himself staring up into the face of a young male cub with brownish-gray fur and wide, innocent golden eyes. The young lion was too close for comfort and so he attempted to move away from him, if only to give himself some personal space.

A curse was lost to a pained snarl when he got an unexpected surprise. There was an extreme pain in his left hind-leg, one that was set off when ever he even twitched the limb. Grumbling, he rubbed his aching head to at least alleviate some of _that _discomfort. Again, he was greeted with a cry of protest when he touched his head, and caused the pain to explode into a tide of agony.

"Careful," the cub cautioned. "Huruma told me never to touch fresh wounds. They need to be left undisturbed in order to heal." The young one was beaming widely, his head cocked to the side as he stared at him. The look strongly reminded the elder lion of a newborn examining an insect for the first time.

The elder lion grunted, closing his eyes and concentrating on his thoughts.

_Who am I? Why am I hurt? What am I doing here?_

When he tried to search his recollection of memories, he discovered that he had none whatsoever. True, he had the basic knowledge of the world and knew how to do the practical things like eating and drinking and talking. Yet all personal information (his name, family, love life, and the like) seemed to be missing.

He turned hopefully to the bothersome little cub, hoping he might possess some of the answers he so desperately thirsted for.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"Under a tree," was the child's unhelpful response.

The great golden lion had to force himself from snarling in impatience. "I can see that," was his terse reply. "Now can you tell me who you are?"

The golden-furred cub grinned. "My name is Ibtisam."

The older male had trouble hiding his own amused smile at that statement. "Yes," he said. "I can see why you're called that."

"Brattish cub!" An elderly lioness appeared at the small den's entrance, scowling at Ibtisam. "How many times must I tell you to stay away from the-" She stopped, eyes trailing from the cub up to the older lion that lay beside him. "Well, it's about time you came in handy, young one. Your voice finally managed to do what your father's never could, wake a comatose lion!"

* * *

Huruma found herself gazing into the intense golden eyes of her mysterious patient for the first time. While she had first found him she had feared the lion wouldn't make it, he had been so close to death and there had been times in the first few days of his arrival that she thought he wasn't going to make it. Now, he was awake, and she truly saw that he was a _very_big specimen, indeed. Huruma faltered for a moment, remembering one other such lion she had encountered.

_"No, please! Take me, but leave my daughter! For the love of the ancestors, just leave my poor daughter alone!"_

_Cruel eyes jeered down at her, mocking her weakness. "Ah, so the mighty Huruma does indeed have a weakness? Tell you what, since you are so cute when you look vulnerable and I plan to me a merciful King, I'll do you a huge favor. I'll make sure your brat has a quick and painless death, unlike the _other _bastards your mate sired!"_

_"Mama! Mama, help me!"_

Huruma gave herself a shake, like she was dislodging rainwater from her pelt. Resuming her facade of indifference, she approached Ibtisam, giving him a pointed look.

"My foolish Prince Ibtisam, your mother the Queen would be most annoyed if she discovered you disrupting my well-deserved peace _yet again. _If you leave right now and go play quietly somewhere else, then _perhaps _I won't tell Queen Dhakiya of this little incident."

The cub's reaction was instantaneous. Before the final words even left her mouth, Ibtisam was hurrying out of the den and off to bother some one else.

Turning to her patient, Huruma launches into a quick description of his wounds. "You were found three days ago, unconscious and very close to death. Obviously, you're in a much better condition now then what you were in then. You have many moderate scratches, along with many minor cuts and scrapes. Some of them may become faint scars." Huruma snorted in bemusement when she realized that the lion had attempted to shift his position, and painfully discovered that he could not move. "And yes, one of your hind legs is broken. You'll have to stay off it for a while, unless you want to walk around with a crooked leg to the end of your days."

Huruma padded forward, inspecting the bandage of cobwebs she had wrapped around the great wound around the lion's head. Ignoring his sharp gasp when she touched the area, she shifted the bandages and checked on the injury below it.

"Ah, that one's coming along just nicely. Naturally, it will leave a pretty impressive scar behind. But better to have your good looks marred when your skull split open, eh?" She frowned, giving her charge a look. "Of course, it is impossible to tell whether you have sustained any damage to the brain or not. Tell me, silent one, have you experienced any strange symptoms lately? Any blurry vision? Unresponding limbs?"

"No," the male responded. "Physically, I feel quite fine. Considering the... trauma I went through, I suppose the pain is just natural. However-" he closed his eyes and hesitated, before continuing. "However, I can't remember anything about myself. It's as if the...fall...accident...I was in knocked all of my memories out of my head."

_Great, another amnesia patient. Ah, well. At least this one actually remembers he's a lion and knows how to speak._

Huruma heaved a great sigh. "I was afraid something like this may happen. You suffered too serious a fall for me to hope you'd gotten off mentally unscathed. Do you by any chance remember _anything _about your past, because it would make it easier for us to find out your identity. Is there a name you can recall? A favorite kind of prey? A lion you really hate?"

The great lion shook his head and lay his head on his paws. "No. I can not even remember my own name."

She shrugged, handling the matter in typical Huruma fashion. "Perhaps your memories will return. Perhaps they may not. But you have survived a fall that would have left many dead. Look at the bright side, you're alive and relatively healthy. And there seems to be a Great King up there who likes you too much to let you join him just yet."

_

* * *

_

Kind and passionate but gruff old Huruma had forced him to drink some water and eat some meat before she trusted him enough to leave him alone, even for a brief time. The old lioness soon returned, followed by the leader of her pride, King Anil.

The golden lion had been on his best behaviour when in the presence of King Anil. Though the scrawny and short little lion looked less like a King than little Ibtisam, the amnesiac lion supposed Anil must have had some hidden talent or leadership ability that made these lionesses follow him. The lion had answered all of King Anil's questions as honestly and respectfully as possible. He had little information to give, yet Anil interrogated him for a good portion of the day to see if he was holding back on him.

The questions over at last, King Anil sighed. There was something that reminded the golden lion strongly of pity in his golden eyes. "So, you remember nothing of your past? Not even your own name?"

Ashamed, the golden lion bowed his head and stared at his paws. "Not even that, your Majesty. All but the most basic of knowledge has been lost to me."

King Anil remained silent for a moment, a small smile tugging at his lips. "My son has taken to calling you 'Mr. Lion.' He thinks the name to be quite flattering." Here both he and the golden lion chuckled at Ibtisam's youthful naivety. "If you wish it, I should like to give you a temporary name. No animal, no matter how many memories he has, deserves to go about without a name. Of course, when you finally recall your true name, we'll start calling you that instead."

The golden lion inclined his head in gratitude. "It would be an honor to receive a name from a King himself."

Anil's chest puffed up in pride so much that the other lion feared the King might fall over. However, the King quickly deflated as he thought of name. "Hmm... Do you think 'Etana' would suit you?"

The golden lion blinked in mild surprise. "Do you think it suits me?"

A grin spread cross King Anil's features. "Any other lion would agree with me. You're one of the most powerfully-built lions I've ever seen. And maybe one of the most 'female friendly'." The grayish-furred lion grinned ruefully. "Believe me, friend, Etana suits you just fine."

The newly-named Etana gave a halfhearted smile. He supposed he could use the name... At least until he recalled his own.

**What? Don't tell me any of you actually thought Mufasa was going to remember his old name XD? The story would be over way too soon if a lion discovered a lion named Mufasa with amnesia wandering around. Oh, and Etana is Swahili for 'strong' by the way. I think it's a decent replacement for his own name (didn't any one notice how unusually large Mufasa is compared to the other male lions in the movies?) Leave your opinions in a review and I'll change it if enough people ask me to. **


End file.
